Builds And so it begins - buggification (5 Viewers)

[Eskimo]

Got the bling front driveline from a shop near Charlotte.. Very fast service, and exactly what I asked for.. 1.75" tube up top, .120 tube on the bottom, 14" slip, minitruck joints throughout.

Made this bracket... wanted to keep the carrier as low as possible - it's 1/4", angled up, and there's a full size gusset on the front side as well.. it should hold.

Did a real fast down and dirty primer of the cage, since I had to trailer the Cruiser to the driveline place, and didn't want it rusting.. I kinda like how the white looks! 81" to the top @ 22" to the frame..

Here's the skid... 36" front to back - 3/16" steel with 1" x .120 angle around the perimeter. I wanted it flush, but the minitruck case wouldn't allow for that and still have a decent rear driveline angle. But since I never had a skid at all before, this is a good start! (465/205, who cares what it hits?)

Fun with wiring! This is the last major thing to do before the first run...

 

[cruzerman350]

that thing is badass. ah if only i could do that

 

[Adventure Teq]

A little late to the game

That is some damn fine work man I want one

 

[wngrog]

NOW THAT IS MORE LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet!

 

[wngrog]

Man I bet that skidplate kicked your ass. My old steel one is 25x36 and it would kick my ass.

Have you weighed it yet? I say 3350#

 

[Eskimo]

I bet it's heavier than that.. I weighed the whole combo at the DOT scales, and I was 13,300. I know my CTD is right at 8000 with me in it... So the question is... how much does the trailer weigh? (16', wood deck, blah, blah) I will try and weight it soon, but I have GOT to get this damn thing done this week...I'm out all next week (and this weekend) for training, and going straight from there to the Labor Day ride

BTW, The skid was easy (with the floor jack) If/when my aluminum guy comes up with some more 3/8" plate alum, I'm on it.

I know I need to replace a knuckle seal, but when I tried out 4wd for the first time since November, there was a metal on metal squeak in the front axle every revolution of the tires.. This better not be serious, or I'm fawked.

I really LOVE how the white cage looks, but there's no way I can keep it. White is a PITA.

 

[wngrog]

Keep it white.

 

[bustanutley]

That is wild how you tied the cage into the door hinges, I never noticed untill just now because it sticks out being white. Very cool, now get out there and smash her up

 

[cruzer]

DAM that is sweet. I agree the white looks good...maybe if you used a nice white gloss paint with clear coat so it was easy to clean..ie just wipe with some windex and paper towel? I like it.

Stew

 

[JRFJ4-]

Sweet

Sweet dude. Love the cage.

I need a tubing bender bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

J.R.

 

[kling-on]

I really LOVE how the white cage looks, but there's no way I can keep it. White is a PITA.

ME TOO the white looks great with the flag color sceam.. KEEP IT

keep the frame black though that would be too much white

it wont be as hot in the sun either ... good paint wash either way

 

[Eskimo]

Anyone wanna photochop the front red, the middle blue, and the rest white?

Basically, the red & blue would follow the paint, but from the door back, would be white.. In order to really get the whole tube in the body area, I'd either need to remove the tub (not gonna happen), or spray it blue/red because it matches the bodywork around it...

 

[TxCruzr]

Is your skid just a flat piece of 3/16'' with no bracing other than the outside angle? I'm wanting to build a skid over winter break and wasn't sure if the 3/16 would be enough. I was going to build it as flat as I could in the front and then weld in the back piece to angle down to where the tcase sits lower, so that should stiffen it up some.
I agree the white looks good. If you stay white, check out rustoleums satin white (lawn furniture on the front of can). My cruiser is slowly turning that color more and more after each touch up Nice clean glossy white for spraypaint.

 

[TxCruzr]

Anyone wanna photochop the front red, the middle blue, and the rest white?

Something like this?
Not very good with photoshop yet if you cant tell
Or maybe have the entire bottom bar blue...


ok...fixed it....

 

[Eskimo]

Yeah, along those lines, thanks... I'm diggin that. I'd probably do the a-pillar up to the windshield level in the blue so I could get in there with the paint.. hmmmm.... Dammit, I've got 5 cans of the blue!

I used Rustoleum's appliance expoy white for the white on the flames and the bezel, and it's a really glossy but TOUGH finish...

The more I look at that, the more I like it...

 

[Eskimo]

a little more wiring this evening...

 

[Eskimo]

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

The good! It's fully painted and 80% wired, enough to get me on the trail, but I do want to finish the rock lights. Need to bleed the brakes again, and install the harnesses.

But, upon teardown to fix what looked like just another leaky inner axle seal, found the bad.. That's the lower trunion (kingpin) bearing, or what's left of it. My only hint was that the tire had noticable camber... it drove fine, around the 'hood.

The ugly - When the bearing let go, it punched against the seal on the back of the knuckle, bending the bolts that hold the seal on Not big bolts, but wild that it bent them.

 

[wngrog]

Rich,

That is such a great paint scheme!

Hope you can get the bearing fixed and on the trail......is this weekend the shake down run?

 

[lowtideride]

no crap...same thing happened to me last trail ride...except i dint notice til about to trails later and by then it took out my birf...all the seals, backing on the knuckle...the little chucks also started to take out the top bearing too..when i took it apart and the little rollers where ground to nothing and parts of my kunckle where damaged....little dremeling and its better......i wonder why they fail? they are sitting a ton of grease....hmmm good lock brotha....at least yours made a noise...when my knuckle bearing went if dint make a sound....

-Al

 

[Eskimo]

Hope you can get the bearing fixed and on the trail......is this weekend the shake down run?

Honestly, I almost gave up... Over the last 2 days, I've put in 35+ hours in the garage trying to get this thing finished, and when I saw this, I almost said screw it.

The shakedown run is Labor Day weekend, but it might as well be this one, since I'm leaving this morning out of state for training until next Friday ~noon when I have to drive home (4 hours), load up everything, and then drive 8 hours to the wheeling spot.. But this place we're going (Dayton, TN) is worth it.. 15 rigs *total* on 10,000+ acres of private land, with the best trails on the east coast!

Paint - Nicole says it reminds her of one of those "Captain America" ice pops she used to get as a kid